


Champagne Problems

by gilliananderson



Category: The Fall (TV 2013), The X-Files
Genre: Bisexual Dana Scully, Bisexuality, Champagne, Closeted Character, Coming Out, Dana Scully Angst, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Homophobia, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, New Years, Sapphic, wlw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:21:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28493058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gilliananderson/pseuds/gilliananderson
Summary: Dana and Stella spend New Year’s eve with the Scully family, who don’t know about their relationship. They share a “secret” kiss at midnight.
Relationships: Stella Gibson & Dana Scully, Stella Gibson/Dana Scully
Comments: 4
Kudos: 45





	Champagne Problems

**Author's Note:**

> i hope u like it, happy new year!!  
> tw: some homophobia and being outed.

Snow fell in thick flurries as the redhead drove through the city, getting closer to her childhood home with each passing minute. The blonde in the passenger seat had been uncharacteristically quiet the entire ride, though she never took her eyes off her partner. 

“What if they don’t like me?” Stella asked, squeezing Dana’s hand just a little tighter. 

“They’ll love you, Stella.” Dana assured her with a warm smile. 

Both women had agreed that they wouldn’t come forward about the status of their relationship yet, though Dana was beyond ecstatic to introduce her new girlfriend to her family, even if it was just as a friend. It was the first time Stella would meet them and, seeing as it was a holiday, they didn’t want to stir the pot by dropping that bomb just yet. 

They’d been dating just over six months, and Dana was already head over heels in love. She’d thought about this moment since the day she met Stella. She wasn’t quite ready to come out to them, not yet, but she knew the moment they met Stella they’d love her as much as she did and it would make the dating a woman part so much easier. 

“I know nothing about families, D. I don’t know how they interact or… What’s appropriate…” Stella was still deeply lost in thought, positive that her girlfriend’s family would hate her. 

_ What if they see right through us, _ she thought to herself, not wanting to stress Dana out with her own anxieties. 

“Just be yourself, Stel. They’re going to love you. I know it, because  _ I _ love you.” Dana moved her hand to the blonde’s thigh and squeezed it tenderly. “I promise.” 

The car was quiet for the remainder of the drive, as Stella focused on keeping the negative thoughts out of her head. When they finally pulled into the driveway of Dana’s childhood home Stella set her nerves aside and was able to put on the stable front she always carried herself with so elegantly. Until recently there was no one she was able to break that illusion around, but Dana had changed that in an instant. 

When Stella stepped out of the car a chill went through her that threatened to crack her facade, though she forced herself to blame it on the wind and push forward, linking her arm in Dana’s. The second they reached the doorstep and knocked she dropped her arm and took a deep breath, smiling at Dana with one last loving glance. She wasn’t sure how she was going to keep her hands and eyes off her all evening, but she had to try. 

The door opened and a warm light spilled out onto the porch. 

“Dana!” An older woman’s voice rang out and she pulled the redhead into a tight embrace. 

“Hi mom. This is Stella.” Dana said, immediately pulling Stella’s wrist so that she was standing beside her again. 

“Hello Stella, it’s so nice to meet you.” 

Stella went to hold her hand out but Maggie only took it to pull her into a gentle hug.  Stella wasn’t sure what to do at first, caught off guard by the gesture, but it made her feel safe and a small smile crept across her face. 

“It’s nice to meet you too, Mrs. Scully.” 

“Please, just call me Maggie!”

Dana led Stella around introducing her to her siblings, and a few cousins who had decided to join them. A few old family friends were there and she took a moment to point them out to Stella, though she didn’t bother introducing them. 

When the two of them finally made their way into the backyard where Dana’s dad and oldest brother Bill were manning the grill, Stella felt her heartbeat quicken painfully in her chest. 

“Starbuck!” Bill Sr and Bill Jr said in unison, pulling a small smirk out of the redhead. Stella felt as if she might melt at the sight of her girlfriend’s pure and innocent face as she ran over to hug her father. 

“Dad, Bill, this is Stella!” She said quickly, eager to finish introductions so that they could move on. 

“Nice to meet you, sir.” Stella said, holding her hand out firmly to shake the older man’s hand. Dana’s dad was impressed by the blonde’s handshake, though something about her left a bitter taste in Bill Jr’s mouth. 

“So Stella, what made you join us this evening?” He asked in a somewhat condescending tone, causing Dana to elbow him harshly. 

“It’s her first New Years in the states… She didn’t have anybody to celebrate with.” She looked over to her girlfriend and smiled reassuringly, before taking her hand. “We’re going to head back inside.” 

They spent the next hour or so talking with everyone and Stella found herself pleasantly surprised at how warm and inviting Dana’s family was. She’d never been to a big family get together like this of her own, and she found herself wondering if this was what most families were like.

Stella couldn’t stop herself from going to a place she’d forbidden herself to go for so long; the idea of marrying Dana and of becoming a part of the Scully family invaded her brain and brought a tear to her eye. They had only been together six months, and she felt foolish letting herself give those thoughts the time of day, but the longer she stood and stared at the beautiful red haired woman next to her the harder it became to push them away. 

They had been sitting at the table with Dana’s sister, Melissa, having a conversation when Stella lost herself in Dana’s eyes. Melissa asked the blonde a question which fell on deaf ears, causing Dana to turn to her with a confused look on her face. 

“Stella?” Dana asked, setting her hand on her shoulder. 

“Hmm? I’m so sorry, what?” Stella asked realizing she’d let herself get carried away. 

Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink, and Dana grabbed her hand, holding it beneath the table, out of sight. 

“Don’t worry, there’s a lot to be distracted by. I asked what brought you the states?” Melissa replied sweetly. 

Stella was a bit caught off guard by the way the younger redhead looked at her, a hint of knowing gleamed in her eyes. 

“Oh um, just work. That’s how I met D… ana actually.” She caught herself slipping up, and pushed the glass of champagne away from her gently. “Sorry, I think this champagne has gone right through me. Where’s your bathroom?” 

Dana pointed it out to her, and the blonde escaped down the hall to hide out in the small half bath for a bit. She splashed cold water on her face and took a few deep breaths as her thoughts overwhelmed her. 

_ What if they don’t like me. _

_ What if I make a mistake.  _

_ What if they see right through us.  _

_ What if I hurt Dana’s relationship with her family.  _

All the  _ what ifs _ ran rampant in her mind as she felt her breathing quicken, and she couldn’t seem to calm it. She leaned back against the wall and tried to take deep breaths though it seemed like no matter how hard she tried no oxygen was reaching her lungs. 

She was pulled out of her spiraling thoughts by a knock at the door followed by a soft plea from her favorite voice. 

“Stel? Stel, please let me in.” 

The blonde sighed, and hesitantly opened the door to see her girlfriend waiting on the other side with a nervous smile. 

“Are you ok?” Dana asked, observing her now somewhat puffy face. 

“This was a bad idea, D. What if… What if they… God what if I fuck this up? What if they find out?” Her breathing quickened again, and Dana held onto her forearms tightly. 

“Stella, hey… Just breathe, okay?” Dana leaned in to place a gentle kiss on her forehead, “It’s going to be fine. They all love you, and you’re not going to fuck anything up. Besides, worst case scenario they find out. It will be fine. Yes, I’d prefer it not be tonight, but they’re going to know eventually. I’m- I’m so insanely… in love… with you, Stella.” 

Stella’s eyes looked up to meet Dana’s and she smiled. Neither of them said another word and it was quiet for a moment, but nothing needed to be said. Dana didn’t need to hear it back yet, she knew that was out of Stella’s comfort zone, she only said it to remind Stella what she meant to her. 

“You are doing fine. Now let’s go back out there before we miss dinner and they  _ do _ become suspicious.” 

Dana turned to unlock the door but was quickly whipped around, and she found herself trapped between the door and Stella’s body. Stella pressed her lips against hers firmly and they each sighed against each other’s mouths. Dana felt Stella’s tongue graze the bottom of her lip and eagerly granted her access. Their tongues intertwined, and they let themselves have a moment of wet sloppy passion before Stella pulled away and took a deep breath. 

“Okay, now we can go.” 

Dana smiled and set her cold fingers on her swollen lips as she followed Stella out of the bathroom. They made their way out into the dining room to see a few people seated with food, and Stella followed Dana to the kitchen to get a plate. 

The rest of the night was filled with games, food, champagne and laughter. Stella began to relax and found herself genuinely enjoying the company that surrounded her. They were all so welcoming and kind to her; it was something entirely different from what she was used to. She truly believed they all liked her, except for the eldest Scully, Bill. He had been giving her looks all night, since the moment they’d first met outside, and she felt a chill go down her spine each time she noticed his eyes on her. She felt  _ seen _ and not in a good way. 

As midnight crept closer the Scully’s all gathered in the living room in front of the tv to watch the ball drop. Stella and Dana sat on the couch, holding hands beneath a blanket. Stella’s thumb grazed the top of Dana’s hand softly, and it took everything in Dana not to lean her head down onto the blonde’s shoulder. 

They each had a glass of champagne in their free hand, and Stella continued to sip on it though she’d had more than enough that evening. She could feel it buzzing through her and it made her head spin, but she enjoyed the feeling. 

It hit ten seconds til midnight and everyone began to count down, though Stella was fixated on her beautiful girlfriend. The clock struck twelve and everyone cheered, moving on to kiss their partners and Stella suddenly couldn’t help herself. Maybe it was the booze, maybe it was the sentiment, or maybe it was just her pure unconditional love for the woman sitting next to her, but she had to have a New Year’s kiss. She turned to Dana and looked back and forth between her eyes and her lips a few times before she leaned in slowly. Dana made no move to stop her so she closed the distance and locked her lips with hers softly. It was quick, but it was beautiful and Stella felt as if her heart might explode. They  quickly looked around to see if anyone had noticed their private moment, but everyone seemed wrapped up in themselves and they both sighed with a smile. 

What they hadn’t noticed was Bill Jr, who had been standing in the back of the room, watching them intently since the moment they’d all come into the living room. He felt a surge of anger hit him like a brick at the sight of this blonde yuppy bitch kissing his sister. He watched Stella stand up, reaching her hand out to the redhead, and watched as she led his sister towards the hallway. 

Stella and Dana turned a corner and Dana immediately had her pushed back into the wall as their lips met. They were lost in their own blissful moment, out of sight from the rest of the world. Stella leaned forward to push herself from the wall, shoving Dana back until her back was against the opposite wall. Their lips never separated and Dana moaned into the kiss softly. Stella was caught up in their moment, needing her right then and there, and began to think up a plan until they were interrupted by the deep sound of a throat clearing. 

“Dana, what the hell is going on?” Bill Jr. asked once Dana looked toward him, watching them with a horrified look on his face. 

“Ohh, Bill, it’s not what you think.” Dana hadn’t even finished getting the words out before he turned away and angrily stomped back towards the living room. 

“Shit.” Was all the redhead could mutter as she moved to follow him. 

Stella grabbed a hold of her arm, but it felt as if everything was suddenly spinning and Dana pulled it away hastily. Stella pushed the sting of rejection down, and nodded in understanding 

“Dana, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have-“ Dana shook her head and held her shaking index finger up to Stella’s lip. 

“It’s not your fault. It wasn’t just you, it was me too. Of course it had to be fucking Bill to catch us.” She turned and walked down the hall, Stella following close behind. 

They made their way back into the living room to see Bill standing in front of his parents, waving his arms around, his voice drunk and angry. Dana felt her heart drop as her mom and dad turned to look at her, shock written all over their faces. 

“He fucking told them.” She said through gritted teeth. 

Stella wasn’t sure what to do. She wanted to run. She wanted to sprint out the front door and never turn back. She wanted to remove herself from Dana’s life as soon as possible, she didn’t want to cause her any more hurt. 

Dana grabbed a hold of Stella’s hand, pulling her out of her destructive thoughts, and pulled her over towards her parents. 

“Dana… Bill just-“ Maggie started, but Dana shushed her. 

“It was NOT Bill’s place to tell you.” Dana started, wiping a hot tear from her cheek, “But he wasn’t lying. He did see me kissing Stella.” She pulled on Stella’s hand a bit so that she was standing directly next to her. “Stella isn’t just a work friend. She’s my girlfriend. We’ve been dating for a while, and I wanted you guys to meet her but I didn’t want to ruin New Years by telling you the truth yet.” 

The room had fallen silent as everyone was now listening in, intrigued by the drama. 

“I… I love her. She’s the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time, and I wanted to introduce you to her as soon as I possibly could because I wanted you to get to know her. She’s the reason I’ve been so happy lately.” 

Dana was starting to shake as she spoke, tears streaming down her face. The room was still painfully silent. 

“So you’re gay now, then?” Bill Jr asked with a disgusted tone. 

“I… I don’t know, really. I’m not having that conversation right now. All I do know is that I love Stella. I have feelings for her, and she just happens to be a woman. I don’t understand it, and I don’t need to right now. I’m happy, that’s all that should matter.” 

Dana watched as her dad’s eyes squeezed shut and he shook his head. 

“I’m sorry Dana, I can't do this.” He mumbled, making his way towards the door.

Her mom called after him several times, until Melissa jumped up and told her to let him go. 

“He just needs a minute, he’ll come around.” Melissa assured her sister as she hugged her tight, “I, however, love you and am so proud of you.” She pulled away and put her arm around Stella. “You two make a lovely couple…” 

The two women smiled at the young redhead, appreciative of her support. Dana’s gaze immediately went to her mother’s face, who still hadn’t said anything more than her husband’s name. 

“Mom…” Dana whispered. 

“Dana, I love you. You know that. Nothing can change that, and I’m so happy you're happy.” She took her in for a gentle hug, “I can’t lie, I don’t love the idea of this. It’s not what I would have chosen for you, but ultimately your happiness is most important. You deserve to be happy and loved.” 

Tears streamed down Dana’s face as her mom pulled away and she watched her hug Stella tightly. 

“And if my daughter loves you, then you are part of the family. I’m happy to have you here, and I’m thrilled that she has you.”

Stella smiled at the older woman warmly, still holding her girlfriend’s hand tight. She watched as Dana’s little brother came over and hugged her, whispering something in her ear that made her laugh. Stella would never tire of the sound of Dana’s laugh. 

“No, this is bullshit.” Bill’s voice cut through the quiet room harshly. “She doesn’t  _ love  _ her, she's just confused!” He turned to Dana and shook his head. “I mean, why are you doing this? Making mom pretend like she’s okay with something that she clearly isn’t? Missy said dad will come around, but that’s just not true. You know what he thinks about gay people, you know what the bible says.” 

Maggie attempted to quiet her son, but he pulled his arm away from her and continued, “Why are you doing this?” He asked again, putting an already flustered Dana on the spot. 

“I… I’m not  _ doing _ anything, Bill. I fell in love… I found someone who’s good to me and for me. Isn’t that enough?” She asked. 

She had thought this would hurt more. She’d considered millions of times how this would go down, and how her family would react. She had been sure at one point that their reaction would break her, though in this moment she felt fine. She felt stable, strong, proud, and like she would fight for the woman she loved no matter what. 

“No Dana, not when you’re making some big spectacle out of it.” 

All three Scully women attempted to shut Bill up, but he just continued, champagne glass in hand, suddenly turning his sights towards Stella. 

“And you…” Dana’s heart leapt in her chest as she watched him take a step closer to her, “You shouldn’t have come here. We don’t want you here. You aren’t welcome in this family, and none of us want you near Dana.” 

Stella stood and held her strong, invincible facade, though she felt her heart drop to her stomach as he spoke. 

“You have my sister brainwashed. She thinks she  _ loves  _ you and that she can be in love with a woman, but she’s never once talked like this before she brought you around. You’re toxic… You’re sick, and what you’ve done to my sister is sick.” 

“BILL!” Dana nearly screamed, forcing his attention away from the blonde. “You can’t speak to her like that.” 

She turned to look at Stella only to see her fast walking towards the door. 

“Stel?” Dana called after her, panic setting in. “Way to go, asshole.” She spat, shoving her brother into the wall as she ran after her girlfriend. 

When she reached the front door she saw Stella at the end of the driveway, and chased after her. 

“Stella wait!” She yelled. 

The blonde stopped for a moment, but she didn’t turn around. Dana was only a couple feet away from her when she started to walk again. 

“Stella, please. Look at me.” Stella turned to meet her gaze, though she didn’t stop walking. 

“I- I shouldn’t have come, Dana. I shouldn’t have kissed you. I should’ve just stayed home.” 

The redhead was able to catch up with Stella’s strides and they were now walking side by side 

“Stop it. Don’t say that. I’m happy you came. I  _ wanted _ to kiss you at midnight, more than anything. I didn’t want to be alone, and I didn’t want you to be alone.” Stella halted, bringing Dana to a stop with her. 

“You did nothing wrong, Stel. This isn’t on you,” She set her hand on the blonde’s cheek, “And it doesn’t change the fact that I love you.” 

Stella shook her head, “He’s your brother... and he had a point. Your parents are religious, and of course they won’t love you any less, but I doubt they’re going to just be okay with it. I can’t make you choose between me and your family. I can’t be the reason you risk losing any of them.” 

“Stella, stop it. Right now. I. Love. You. You mean more to me than anything and my asshole older brother isn’t going to take that away. My parents will come around. My mom and my sister loved you. My dad liked you too, he just wasn’t ready for _ this _ .” She pulled Stella into a hug, “Besides, it’s not like you made me ‘this way.’ I chose to date you. I fell in love with you.” 

Stella pulled away and wiped a rogue tear from her cheek. “Dana I…” She hesitated as the words caught in her throat, “I love you, too. SO much.” 

Dana stood speechless for a moment, staring into her lover’s icy blue eyes. “You what?” She asked with a smile. 

“I love you, Dana Katherine Scully.” 

Snow continued to fall as the two women leaned in for a kiss. Everything around them was still, and the redhead closed her eyes, savoring the moment. 

They made their way back into the house, and sat with the family who had seemingly already moved on. Maggie had asked Bill Jr to leave after his drunken outburst, and he stormed out the front door moments after they’d come back in. Whether it had been caused by the champagne or not, his behavior was unacceptable and she didn’t want Dana and Stella to have to be around it.

Everyone sat, played games, drank, and continued to celebrate the new year as if no unpleasantness had happened at all. Bill Sr even came back out at some point, and though he remained quiet and reserved, it was a big step in the right direction and Dana felt incredibly grateful for it.

When the night ended they said their goodbyes, and Dana watched with a full heart as everyone showered Stella with love, even her dad. 

The two of them made their way to the car and Stella smiled at her girlfriend. 

“Your dad told me to take care of you,” She said quietly, “When he hugged me before we left. I told him that there’s nothing else I’d rather do.” 

Dana felt a few tears run down her cheek as Stella spoke. She knew that couldn’t have been easy for him, but he had done it. 

_ Almost all  _ of her family had made an effort to support and accept her and Stella and it filled her with so much happiness. 

Stella was her everything now, and she couldn’t imagine living without her. She was her home, and she didn’t want to hide it anymore. 

**Author's Note:**

> wellll... hope u liked it. thank u for reading.  
> goodbye 2020, thank god it’s over. 2021 better be nicer or i’ll be calling my lawyers.  
> any feedback is welcome!! :)


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